Digital Self

1. Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this chapter, students are expected to have

1.1. Understand how the self is shaped by the Digital Space.

1.2. Understand the positive and negative outcomes of the Digital world.
1.3. Discuss the various crimes/issues that can be done online and how to
address these issues.

2. Pre-Assessment
2.1 Each student is tasked to find a picture that represents their digital self and
provide a short explanation about it.

3. Content
3.1 Digital Self:
 It is the aspect of the self that is expressed or shared to others through the use
of digital technology especially the Internet and social networking.

 Jones (2007) maintained that college students view cell phones, instant
messaging and the Internet as “extensions of themselves”
In social media, you fill in personal information when creating an account. These
include the following:
o Name, age, birthdate, address, and contact number
o Likes, dislikes, hobbies, favorite food, favorite movies, visited places,
relationship status, thoughts, feelings, and important events
This sharing of personal information on social networking sites may be related to
the adolescent’s and also adult’s strong desire for social approval and acceptance.
 Is there a big difference between the self-online and the real self?
o You need to be aware between the image that you present online and
offline.
o What you present online should be congruent with who you really are offline
3.2 Digital Technology
The use of technology is essential for individual survival and for communication with other
people.
 Application of information in the design, production, and utilization of goods and
services, and in the organization of human activities.
 Application of science to address the problems of daily life.
 These technologies improve not only very common areas of people’s daily life, but
also areas of education, health and production industries.
 Forms of technology such as digital technology: includes all types of electronic
equipment and applications that use information in the form of numeric code.
o It includes the use of devices that process and use of digital information
such as mobile phones.
o The rise of mobile phones has resulted in the widespread use of internet
and social networking.
 Internet is a global computer network in which the users can send and receive all
kinds of information and communication such as text, graphics, video and related
other facilities.
Iqbal, Khan and Malik suggest that mobile phones are ever more becoming part of the
daily life of today’s youth. The growing use of the internet and social networking changes
the social behaviors of individuals, families and societies as a whole.
3.3. Social Networking
● Involves the use of the internet to connect users with their friends, family and
acquaintances.
Social networking websites are not necessarily about meeting new people online,
although this does happen. Instead, they are primarily about connecting with friends,
family and acquaintances you already have in real life.
Here are some of the social media sites that we often use in our daily lives:
1. Facebook:
How many good friends do you have? How many people do you meet for coffee or a
movie? Now, how many “friends” do you have on Facebook?
Technology has changed how we interact with each other. It has turned “friend” into
a verb and has made it possible to share even the most ordinary news with hundreds or
even thousands of people who might know you only slightly, if at all. Through the magic
of Facebook, you might know about an old elementary school friend’s new job before her
mother does.
 Connect with friends, family and other people you know
 Share photos and videos
 Send messages
 Get updates.
2. Instagram

 A free photo and video sharing app available on iPhone and Android.
 People can upload photos or videos and share them with their followers or with a
select group of friends.
 They can also view, comment and like posts shared by their friends on Instagram.

3. Twitter

 A service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected
through the exchange of quick, frequent messages.
 Tweet is any message posted to Twitter which may contain photos, videos, links,
and text.
 These messages are posted to your profile, sent to your followers, and are
searchable on Twitter search

4. YouTube

 Free video sharing website that makes it easy to watch online videos. You can
even create and upload your own videos to share with others.
● Mission: To give everyone a voice and show them the world.

3.4 Digital Literacy and Disinhibition

Think about the ways that we all use digital technology in our lives?
 Digital Literacy: Capabilities possessed by individuals who are living, learning,
and working in a digital society.
You might be searching and navigating everyday through all types of information.
Then based on that information, you make certain decisions and you share it socially with
others using a variety of tools. Let’s pretend that you want to book a trip to a beach. But
first, you might research things like accommodation, food and culture, and make travel
plans based on what you find out. You might even create an itinerary online and share it
with your family.
Digital literacy is about using technology confidently as you live, learn, and work in a
challenging digital world. It is important to be digitally literate in order to monitor and
evaluate information that you often see and receive online.
● As a student, you need to find answers to your questions such as your
assignments. The internet is a great source for a wide array of information but you
need to be careful. You need to evaluate whether the information presented is
accurate or even true.
In short, one must practice the responsible use of technology.
 Online Disinhibition: lack of restraint that one feels when communicating online
There are two types of disinhibition:
1. Benign Disinhibition
 Speaking about emotions, fears, and wishes
 Showing kindness and helping others
 Combating loneliness through social interactions
 Finding emotional support
These are the healthy types of disinhibition because these are some of the things that
you cannot freely speak offline. Especially if the people around you are not that accepting
or overly critical of your behavior.
2. Toxic Disinhibition
 Rude language, harsh criticism, anger, hatred, and threats
 Pornography and violence
 Cyberbullying
 Threatening, humiliating, spreading rumors, making fun of others
 Cyber harassment and exploitation
How to manage toxic disinhibition?
 Be careful about sharing: be careful what to share and what to post because
people may react differently.
 Do not hang with the wrong crowd online: Use your social media accounts
appropriately and productively. Follow those individuals who give you inspiration
and who spread positivity.
 Consider your emotional state before posting: Avoid posting things when you
are feeling angry or frustrated. You might post something that you will regret later
and this might be taken against you.
 Consider other people’s reactions

3.5 Social Networking in the Philippines

• The Philippines has the fastest growing internet population in Southeast Asia
• Majority of the Filipinos use the internet primarily for social networking
• They mostly use social networking for communication, information and
entertainment.
• The Filipino youth are the biggest users of social networking in the past few years.
They usually post pictures, videos of themselves, their friends and family. Thus,
adolescents are particularly susceptible to cyberbullying, gossips and stalking
• The Church, schools and government in the Philippines make efforts to prevent
and effectively manage the spread of identity theft, false information and fake news
in the country.
Hechanova and Ortega-Go (2014) found that the use of internet has both
positive and negative outcomes.
Positive Outcomes Negative Outcomes
It can improve one’s relationships • The use of internet can be an
addictive element or the
compulsion to constantly
check information of those in
their social network

It can be an important facility for • It is also through social

debates on current issues in the networking that identity theft,
country such as political issues false information, and fake
news circulate.

It can also be a facility to express the

opinions, needs and concerns of the
people

3.6. Self-Presentation
Social media is also a platform used for people to present their selves in a more favorable
light.
Types of Self-Presentation

 Self-Promotion –Showing that we are better or capable than others so others will
admire us or they would think highly of us.
 Ingratiation – You only want people to like you because you crave attention.
 Exemplification – Intentions to make others feel bad or make feel not good
enough.
 Intimidation – Instilling fear to other people because you want them to think that
you are dangerous.
 Supplication – You want to appear handicapped or unfortunate. But for some
there are reasons behind it (e.g. they might need help). Others do this to get
attention.
3.7 Types of Cyber Crimes
1. Phishing Scams - Phishing scams are attempts by scammers to trick you into giving
out your personal information such as bank account numbers, passwords and credit card
numbers.

2. Online Scams - basically scams that happen online.

3. Malware/Virus Dissemination - Malware is the contraction of malicious software onto

your system. It’s a piece of software written with the intent of causing harm to data and
devices.
4. Email Bombing - Email bombing is an overload of emails directed to one email
address, this will cause the person receiving the emails server to become sluggish or
even crash
5. Theft - The aim of internet theft is to steal your personal information and use it to then
steal money out of your bank account or make purchases using your details.

6. Social Media Hack & Spamming - Social media spamming comes when a person
makes a fake account and becomes friends or followed by the average person. This then
gives the fake account the freedom to spam inboxes with bulk messaging, this can be
done for spreading malware. Spamming can also spread malicious links created with the
intent to harm, mislead or damage a user or their device. Clicking on the malicious link,
which may be advertising a new iPhone or weight loss treatment, means you could be
downloading malware which can lead to the theft of personal information. Another dark
side of social media is the ability for malicious accounts to spam your output by constantly
replying with negative messaging. A form of trolling.

7. Sales & Investment Fraud - By sourcing the contact details and available account
information for savings or investment account holders, fraudsters can adopt the persona
of an investment broker.
8. Eavesdropping & Surveillance/Cyber Stalking - Eavesdropping without the consent
of the parties is a crime and can be done online or over the phone.
9. Software Piracy - Software piracy is the unauthorized use and distribution of computer
software.
10. Data Diddling - The action of skewing data entries in the user’s system.
11. Identity Theft - Criminals usually steal identity information of others such as credit
card information, addresses, email addresses and more. With this information they can
pretend to be someone else and create new bank accounts.
12. Child Soliciting & Abuse - Child soliciting and abuse online is a type of cybercrime
where criminals solicit children via chat rooms for the purpose of pornography. It can also
come in forms of material that shows or describes sexual abuse towards children. A child
is regarded as someone who is under the age of 16.

3.8 How to address these crimes?

 Electronic Libel & Cybercrime Prevention Act Of 2012

Republic Act of 10175: Cybercrime Law
The State recognizes the vital role of information and communications industries
such as content production, telecommunications, broadcasting electronic commerce, and
data processing, in the nation’s overall social and economic development. The State also
recognizes the importance of providing an environment conducive to the development,
acceleration, and rational application and exploitation of information and communications
technology (ICT) to attain free, easy, and intelligible access to exchange and/or delivery
of information; and the need to protect and safeguard the integrity of computer, computer
and communications systems, networks, and databases, and the confidentiality, integrity,
and availability of information and data stored therein, from all forms of misuse, abuse,
and illegal access by making punishable under the law such conduct or conducts. In this
light, the State shall adopt sufficient powers to effectively prevent and combat such
offenses by facilitating their detection, investigation, and prosecution at both the domestic
and international levels, and by providing arrangements for fast and reliable international
cooperation.

Privacy and confidentiality should be a major concern, especially for adolescents

who may not be entirely aware about the consequences of sharing private
information to the public.

How to address: Republic Act 10173, otherwise known as the Data Privacy Act of
2012

 It was created to protect people from invasion of privacy

 The Act states that “It is the policy of the State to protect the fundamental human
right of privacy of communication while ensuring free flow of information to promote
innovation and growth.”
 The State recognizes the vital role of information and communications technology
in nation-building and its inherent obligation to ensure that personal information in
information and communications systems in the government and in the private
sector are secured and protected.
 Personal information refers to any information whether recorded in a material form
or not, from which the identity of an individual is apparent or can be reasonably
and directly ascertained by the entity holding the information, or when put together
with other information would directly and certainly identify an individual.

Conclusion: Be careful what you post, whom you interact with, and what you do online
for it can create an impact your presentation of yourself and to other people as well.